Biden struggles in new Siena College poll following debate performance

By Emma Siebold 

After a poor debate performance on June 27, President Joe Biden is now polling at 43% compared to Donald Trump’s 49%, according to a recent Siena College/The New York Times poll.

Biden’s faltering performance increased concerns that his age, 81, prohibits him from carrying out his presidential duties. The poll found that 74% of likely voters found Biden too old for the job.

Before the debate, the poll found that 52% of Democrats wanted Biden as the Democratic nominee. Following the debate, that number fell to 48. In contrast, 80% of Republicans polled before the debate wanted Trump as the Republican nominee compared to 83% after the debate. Trump’s support among male voters increased significantly, jumping from 12% to 23% after the debate. 

According to the poll, those who watched the debate said Trump outperformed Biden 60 to 22. Trump’s hold on Republicans remains strong, with 89% of Republicans saying he did well during the debate. Just one-third of Democrats said the same of Biden, and only 16 percent of overall voters expressed confidence in his performance. 

Less than four months from the election, The New York Times Editorial Board published an article titled “To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race”. The Board called for a new Democratic nominee with a better chance of winning the election. 

Top Democrats are also putting pressure on Biden to take himself off of the ballot. California Representative Adam Schiff publicly called for Biden to drop out on Wednesday. 

Neither candidate is proving favorable amongst overall voters this election season, the poll said. After the debate, Biden’s unfavorable rating rose to 61% and Trump’s to 55%. Still, 50 percent of voters said they believed Trump would best handle the country’s pressing issues, according to the poll.